Blue Jays all-star Guerrero Jr. apologizes for comments made in podcast interview

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. opened and closed a media scrum with an apology to Toronto Blue Jays fans.

Guerrero made the rare decision to ask to speak to reporters Friday nearly four hours before Toronto hosted the Cincinnati Reds to address comments he made in a Spanish-language podcast that was published on Wednesday.

Guerrero said he felt he had to clear the air with "everyone."

"The main reason I'm here because I regret my comments I made the other day, what I said the other day, and that's why I'm here," Guerrero said through interpretor Hector Lebron. "I feel from my heart that my fans, my teammates, they need an apology from me, and that's [what] I'm here for.

"Obviously, I'm also here because I want to let everyone know that I'm going to continue to working hard to make my contract be great."

The 27-year-old first baseman was widely criticized for his comments after his Spanish interview with Veronica Batista of Noticias Telemicro went viral on social media.

In that interview, Guerrero said his 14-year, $500-million US contract was for what he had already accomplished in his career, not for what he was projected to do.

"The money they gave me wasn’t for what I’m going to do. It was for what I already did," said Guerrero in Spanish on the podcast. "They didn’t pay me because I’m going to hit 40 [home runs] every year. They paid me for what I already accomplished.

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"People are confused about that, but I think the same way they do. Like, sometimes I even say to myself: Bro, they gave you all that money and you’re out here doing nothing. I try."

Guerrero didn't back down from those comments when interviewed by reporters Wednesday in Baltimore after the Blue Jays lost both games of a